ZBrushCentral

Wacom Intous 5 - Touch or not?

I’m buying this tablet and I started to woder if I really need the touch option with Z.

Does anyone here have Intous Touch here?

The touch features of Intuos 5 tablets are little more than a novelty in ZB unfortunately. The software just isn’t optimized to work with it. It can be fun to rotate your ztool around using touch and maybe use the move brush but that’s about it.

Definitely not the level of functionality that you would find in photoshop where gestures are supported.

Having said this, Pixologic being the innovators that they are we will probably see better integration with ZBrush in the future.

You can imagine the possibilities…

It’s what I tought. And I’ve heard that in Touch version overlay sheets can’t be replaced by user and in both versions they wear off preety fast:/
THat was info from march. Maybe they improved by right now?

I think I will go with non-touch version.

I would go with the regular over the touch. I can’t see paying about $1000 more just for that feature. The software doesn’t implement it enough to make up for that price. That may change in the future but I expect the feature to become standard eventually as well.

It’s funny fact that in Poland the standard Intous 5 cost is same as the Touch version in USA.
Intous 5 Medium size costs about 348 USD and the touch version is only about 70 bucks more so it isn’t huge difference.
But I’ll go with functionallity. I need a tool for a few years like my todays tablet (it’s about 4 yours old and still works fine).

Then don’t buy a new wacom tablet. I own a intuos 3 - 4 -5 -cintiq 24hd.

The intuos 3 is working fine, the fourth is ok but needs new nibs (fast erosion) the 5 doesn’t work anymore (usb cord loose) and the cintiq 24hd can’t start sometimes (screens works for 500ms and then goes black, I need to restart it like 30 times and sometimes I’ve to wait a few hours for it to work but tablet function still work though).

So to summarize: wacom DID good tablet that last, now some of their patents are about to expire and they started to go for cheaper parts to maintain their profits while staying competitive with the new brands when they’ll start to drop the prices a bit.

Look at Hanvon digitizer based tablets, there’s some really good tablet for a very modest price (yiynova msp 19, cintiq like, is very nice for the price)…

My bad I was looking at the Cintiqs. The Intuos 5 comes with touch and I don’t think there’s a regular option. If your old tablet works I wouldn’t get a new one unless you’re going with a bigger size.

I upgrade my tablet from same reason as upgrading other hardware. It’s get old - the drivers are old, it sometm’s not working and I need to plug out and in the usb cable, the pen is on battery, the endings ware off preety fast (it seem that the first one I got were made from better quality materrial), theres onnly 512 pressure points and that is something you really do feel.
Ye, it’s working fine but I need something that work better than just fine :wink:

I know that Wacom is going down but I also think that intous 5, even with his disadvantages is still better thatn Medium size tablets of different companies.

In Poland next to Wacom there’s Pentagram, Kanvus, Genius and Hanvon and no one really gave them recomendation EVER…
Maybe Pentagram, but the only model compareable to Intous is one year old and no one still can tell anything about it.
I only hear “go with wacom” or “try the new one lkike xxx” - but they don’t use that tablet, only wacom :confused:

Hi Nebular,

I bought the Wacom 5 Touch Large (with Wireless pack) back in March on a bit of an impulse buy.

At this point I was using an Wacom Intuos 4 Wireless A6 (medium I think?) for over a year and a half.

Both of these tablets are pretty good.

The wireless on the Intuos 4 is, and was, pretty useless on my Windows 7 desktop and laptop.

The wireless on the Intuos 5 is easily an improvement on the former because of the dedicated Wacom wireless pack.
Although, I mostly remain hardwired on my desktop.

The drivers on the Intuos 4 were and are also inconsistent and buggy (even with updated versions) on Windows 7
Sometimes a reboot or a reinstall is needed.
A bit of an annoyance. I sorta got used to it.

The driver stability on the Intuos 5 has so far been rock solid ( 3 driver updates since March, I think)

The tactile difference between the two is very different and is a matter of personal taste.
I don’t particularly care for the rougher drawing surface on the Intuos 5.
In fact, I’m not great fan of the Intuos 4 either ( I preferred the original smooth Intuos 1)

The Intuos 5 surface is even rougher than the Intuos 4

I’ve placed my Intuos 5 in an A2 Portfolio sleeve for a smoother surface.

The matt plastic feel of the Intuos 4 has been replaced by a matt rubber tactile experience.
I’m not sure if I prefer the old or the new programmable buttons. Time will tell.

I actually don’t mind the Touch options on the Intuos 5 but it has very limited application at this current time (especially using ZBrush).
But, if I’m being honest, it is not an essential for my workflow within ZBrush.

If I remember correctly, the Radial Menus have been updated on the Intuos 5.

You will benefit greatly from this feature whichever tablet you choose.

I hope this is of some use.

Please excuse me for some of my bad grammar:confused:

Cheers,

Neil

Thank you for your words Shellac, it’s very priceful and good info to know.

Your welcome, Nebular.

Hopefully, someday we will be able to sculpt and paint easily without Wacom tablets.

Maybe the new Microsoft Surface tablets will be a feasible alternative.

The Wacom is an expensive specialist tool.
Don’t get me wrong, I do love my Wacom .
I just wish they were cheaper.

Good luck with your choice of weapon.:wink:

Please feel free to shout out if you need any more feedback.

All the best,

Neil

I will buy the tablet within feew weeks, but before september and I will let you know my feelings.

Ye wacom is expensive as well as otehr proffesional tools (it somehow cheers me up ).

Maybe that tool wiill change somehting in the CG world (not at this state, but it has potentioal):

Thanks :+1:

I have my Intous5 for about 2 weeks now and I must say that everyhing I’ve heard is somewhat true.

It’s very sensitive and the pen is light and comfortable.

On the other side the pen endeing seem to wear off preety fast.
The sheet got skrached in a first day of using (note that I try to gently draw on it) and now it looks similar to my old tablet.
However it seem to not interfere in my work. I think it get skratches because of endings that get sharp while drawing…

THe buttons and touch ring aren’t very usefull.
While the touch ring seem to be quite good, the buttons must be pressed preety strongly and It makes me to still use the keyboard insteed.
(I could gave up on buttons too fast however and I will give them a chance for sure)

All in all I am happy but a bit disappointed beacouse the changes aren’t so dramatically high. My old tablet sucked but it was very cheap and I think giving a try to other - cheaper but similiar tablets of companies like Pentagram mayb not be so risky.

Not only Intous 5. Intous 4 have the same problems. :rolleyes:

hi, i’m looking for a new wacom since my bamboo it’s getting old, i was thinking in the brand new intuos 5 but I don’t know what size I need, my bamboo is the A5 model and works nice for me but I haven’t tried bigger sizes, (well one day I tried a very big thrumaster one and it was crap)

I mostly use it for zbrush and ps

thank u

I use medium size now and then. I have no experience with smaller or bigger.

But, Medium size is for strokes taht comes from your wrist; Large size is for strokes that comes from your elbow; Small size, while working on a big screen, can cause the stroks to jump (one inch on a tablet can be few inches on a screen)

I think for ZBrush and for most cases the Medium size is perfect.